For many of the graduates from Verona, Friday night represented an early view of what's to come. As they left high school behind, the departing seniors stepped foot onto a college campus, where many of them will be spending next year.

The latest batch of Verona High School alumni said goodbye to the home they knew for the past four years during the graduation ceremony Friday night, June 20 at Caldwell College. The 152 seniors all had different experiences as they navigated through the maze that is high school, but came together one last time to throw their caps into the air and celebrate.

The students now face the "exciting and awkward experience of discovery" once more after leaving the halls of VHS, according to Natalie Wertz, class valedictorian. As the first speaker of the ceremony, Wertz recounted some of the steps along the way for her peers that led to graduation, including field days and singing on Halloween in elementary school, meeting the children from the other schools once reaching H.B. Whitehorne, and dealing with the increased demands that high school brought.

Wertz will not soon forget her roots, though. The valedictorian told the audience how her school mascot earned her some extra attention during a college visit. The guide asked Wertz's group who had the most unique team name from high school, and the valedictorian said her Hillbillies won the contest with ease.

Salutatorian Daniel Li will remember the friendships made along the way, as he said they provided the best memories. Li also encouraged his classmates to stay positive about the future, as he quoted Dr. Seuss.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened," Li said of high school.

Friday was a special occasion for all of the Verona students, but perhaps even more for Soufieh Hakimzadeh. Hakimzadeh, the senior class president, was greeted by a rendition of "happy birthday" as she approached the podium, and advised the guests to leave their presents for her in the back of the room. Looking ahead, she hoped her generation could achieve plenty of success in the future, particularly in creating phones that worked on airplanes.

While he started out by thanking his legs for the support, his arms for always being at his side, his fingers that he could always count on, and the sidewalks for keeping him off the street, Student Council President Austin Williams also acknowledged the parents.

"We can make ourselves as great as possible to make your investment in us worth it," Williams said of the commitment of the mothers and fathers in the audience.

Of the 152 students, 56 graduated with high honors. Assistant Principal David Galbierczyk highlighted some of the seniors' accomplishments, including entertaining performances by the band and theater, plenty of sports achievements, the revitalization of the greenhouse, a pair of Eagle Scouts and two students who studied abroad in China. Galbierczyk also pointed out that the class raised over $10,000 for various charities, that 99 percent will participate in some form of secondary schooling (with 70 percent leaving New Jersey) and four alumni heading to the military.